Week 7: Hurricane Harvey, Inversion, and Surf

August 30th, 2017

This week has been much different from what I’ve been doing in the previous 6 weeks here. Shawn has been stuck in Houston due timing with Hurricane Harvey, and he has limited internet access now. I completed my picking task late last week, which had been my primary task since week two. Earlier this week I struggled with Antelope (not the most user-friendly software) to relocate the events where I had picked a slab phase (PS or SP) but didn’t already have the appropriate P or S phase already picked and event located. I went back in with the error list and either removed the picks that I input if the seismogram was noisy or the direct arrival couldn’t be found. In looking back at some of the my early picks, while searching for errors, I realized how much better and more confident I’ve become in filtering and looking at waveforms.

As I’ve said in my previous couple of blog posts, my programing aptitude continues to improve, and could rework my codes in the span of an afternoon to handle the final data set, and output plots with the same general trends as before but with data points from all 4 subsets (rather than the 2 I was working with before).

So, with those tasks completed early this week, and the delay in getting SAC installed on my computers, I’ve taken on learning seismic inversion, which has been difficult. The Inversion is the next and final phase of the project. I don’t have a strong background in linear algebra so progress is coming slowly, and it has been a biggest struggle to stay motivated that I’ve come across thus far. In the last 3 days I think I’ve developed at least an understanding of what the inversion method is, however, the math hasn’t clicked yet. Luckily there are many resources available in the IGPP reading room as well as online to continue to look at. Persevering through being stuck/totally lost/confused on a subject is likely the biggest difference between this and undergraduate work, and a skill I wish to continue to develop.

Life in San Diego has been great these last few weeks. I have made many good friendship and acquaintances that have shown me cool places and experiences. I have gotten back into surfing in the last couple of weeks. I surfed a bunch in my later teens, but ended up hanging up the board after a few scary mishaps in the water and deciding to strongly purse music and push our bands popularity. I have been somewhat apprehensive to get back in to surfing ever since quiting. Surf culture in San Diego is different than in Santa Cruz, and so many of my labmates and SIO friends surf, so I decided to give it another go. My roommate has an extra foam board that she has been letting me borrow, very generous of her. Surfing is kind of like riding a bike, I progressed quickly in the last 3 weeks. I’m apt at navigating the water and making it through the break (not as trivial as it may seem). This week I’ve been popping up on a bunch of waves and trying to get my balance back and working on turns. I’m pleasantly surprised in how quickly I built my skills back. I think all the Yoga and the Cycling helps the balance, flexibility, and fitness that surf requires! I may even brave the cold waters up north when I return to Santa Cruz.

Comments

Bummer to hear that Shawn has been stuck in Houston. Hope he is okay though. In some ways, it may be good for you to stretch some of the new founds skills that you have been learning about independence, focus, and pursining your goal despite uncertainty and challenge. Sound like overall though things are going well. Maybe you should try explaining the inversion in a blog post. There can some benefits to the process of developing an explaination like that and it might get some of the bits to click.
Also, on a side note, super cool on the surfing! That is exciting that you are getting back out there and giving it a go again. Have you been taking any photos? Would love to see some pics a La Jolla is such a beautiful place!